01 August 2006

65 volunteers came together in Alexandria for three days, from the 27th to the 29th of July, to discuss raising awareness of human rights in Egypt.

In Egypt, awareness of human rights is limited and given little place in formal education.  Attempting to address this problem, part of the retreat was dedicated to providing volunteers with more information on human rights, particularly their universality and application.

“I want to feel comfortable speaking about human rights, not just take pictures,” admits Ihab, a 2nd year commerce student from Alexandria who contributes photographs as part of ‘Think Twice’, a project dedicated to promoting the rights of young people and using the arts as a force for social change. Many of the volunteers were attracted to the idea of a retreat centred on human rights because they felt that they needed greater knowledge about human rights in order to promote them effectively and to speak about related issues with greater confidence.

Iman Ali, Community Outreach Coordinator Think Twice, one of the organizers of the event admitted that in organizing such a retreat her aims went beyond simple sharing of information, “in organizing an event like this I wanted not just to inform more people but to empower young people, open their minds, encourage teamwork, creative thinking, and give them confidence and leadership skills.”

“It is fine to talk about human rights and promoting respect for others,” says Emad Essam (youth programme co-ordinator for Caritas) one of the other organizers of the event, “but we have to do so and serve as a model.” For many of the volunteers, aged 17 to 22 and drawn from NGOs across the country, a retreat such as this provides a unique opportunity to share experiences and exchange ideas with people from diverse backgrounds and other faiths and walks of life. Such experiences are vital to young volunteers in their development as global citizens.